Summary:
Autobiography of a Yogi-Chapter V
This chapter
tells the story of young Yogananda's search for his true guru. He quotes a
Bible verse about seasons and times for everything, but he didn't feel wise
like King Solomon. He kept looking for his destined teacher during trips from
home, but didn't meet him until after high school.
Two years
passed since his failed trip to the Himalayas with his brother Amar. In that
time, he met several wise people, including the "Perfume Saint,"
called Gandha Baba. His meeting with the Perfume Saint had two parts: one deep
talk and one funny adventure.
First, at
the famous Kalighat Temple in Calcutta, Yogananda stood quietly before a statue
of Goddess Kali. Kali shows both good and bad sides of nature, which confused
him. A tall wandering holy man, a sadhu, spoke to him wisely. The sadhu said
God is simple, but nature is complex. Don't look for perfect truth in the
changing world. Life is like a riddle of good and evil, like the Sphinx in old
stories. Most people fail to solve it and lose their lives. But a few strong
souls see the truth beyond illusion (maya), that everything is one.
The sadhu
explained that real wisdom comes from strict self-examination. Watching your
own thoughts breaks the ego. Self-expression makes people proud and selfish. To
know truth, free your mind from delusions and fight inner enemies like bad
desires. These enemies are everywhere, even in sleep. Most people give up their
ideals and become weak.
Yogananda
asked if the sadhu felt sorry for confused people. The sadhu said loving God
(who is perfect) and humans (who seem bad) is hard, but inner search shows all
people share selfish motives. This leads to humility and kindness. Saints feel
pity for the world. Self-study expands love for God. Pain drives people to God.
They left
the temple. The sadhu said India's ancient rishis gave timeless spiritual rules
that still work against modern materialism. As Yogananda said goodbye, the
sadhu predicted an "unusual experience" soon.
Outside,
Yogananda met an old friend who talked endlessly about the past six years.
Yogananda wanted to escape and prayed to Kali for help. The friend suddenly
left, then chased him back to say, "Meet Gandha Baba, the Perfume Saint,
in that house. You'll have an unusual experience!" This matched the
sadhu's words exactly.
Intrigued,
Yogananda entered the house. People sat on a carpet, whispering about Gandha
Baba on a leopard skin. He could make scentless flowers smell like any flower,
revive wilted ones, or make skin smell nice. The saint was plump, bearded,
dark-skinned, with big shiny eyes. He welcomed Yogananda and offered perfume.
Yogananda
teased him, asking why waste time on smells when God already makes them. The
saint said he took 12 years to learn from a Tibetan master over 1,000 years
old. He materializes perfumes to show God's power, not to close scent
factories.
Yogananda
stretched out his hand without being touched. He asked for rose smell.
Suddenly, his palm smelled strongly of roses! He took a scentless white flower
and asked for jasmine. It instantly smelled like jasmine. A student said the
saint does this in different ways for different people and has many smart
followers in Calcutta.
Yogananda
politely left, not impressed enough to become a follower. At home, his sister
Uma noticed rose perfume on his hand and loved the jasmine flower, proving it
wasn't his imagination.
Later, a
friend Alakananda told another story. At a party, she asked for out-of-season
tangerines. The saint made luchis (Indian flatbreads) puff up, each hiding a
fresh peeled tangerine inside. Everyone ate them happily.
Yogananda
later understood the science: senses come from tiny vibrations in atoms
(electrons, protons), controlled by "lifetrons" (life forces). The
saint tuned to cosmic energy via yoga to rearrange them and create real smells
or fruits, not illusions.
But
Yogananda says such miracles are fun but useless for true spirituality. They
distract from finding God. Real saints change the world with will tuned to God,
not showy powers. Hypnotism is harmful and fake compared to divine miracles.
He quotes
Persian mystic Abu Said mocking fake holy men proud of powers over water, air,
or space—a frog swims, birds fly, devil is everywhere. A true man lives
righteously, remembers God always, gives up selfish wants, shares what he has,
and faces hardship bravely.
Neither the
temple sadhu nor Gandha Baba became Yogananda's guru. His heart knew a true
master by example alone.
(Endnotes
explain Kali as nature's dual force, maya as illusion, rishis as ancient seers,
and modern science doing similar "miracles" like turning sand to gems
with oxygen.)
(Word count:
998)
Short
Questions and Answers (40-45 words each)
Q1: What
prediction did the sadhu at Kalighat Temple make to Yogananda?
A: The sadhu
predicted that after leaving the temple, Yogananda would have an unusual
experience. This came true when his chatty friend led him to meet Gandha Baba,
the Perfume Saint, matching the words exactly. (42 words)
Q2: How did
Gandha Baba demonstrate his power on Yogananda's hand and flower?
A: Without
touching, Gandha Baba made Yogananda's palm smell strongly of roses. Then, a
scentless white flower from a vase instantly gave off jasmine fragrance when
Yogananda asked, proving real materialization of perfumes. (43 words)
Q3: What did
Alakananda witness at Gandha Baba's home in Burdwan?
A: At a
party, Alakananda asked for out-of-season tangerines. Gandha Baba made luchis
on plates puff up, each revealing a fresh peeled tangerine inside. Guests ate
them, finding them delicious and real. (41 words)
Q4: Why does
Yogananda say miracles like Gandha Baba's are spiritually useless?
A: Such
shows entertain but distract from serious God-search. Real saints use powers
quietly, tuned to God's will, not for display. Showy miracles are like
hypnotism—harmful and not divine. (40 words)
Long
Questions and Answers (180 words each)
Q1: Describe
Yogananda's meeting with the sadhu at Kalighat Temple and the key lessons he
learned.
A: At
Kalighat Temple, Yogananda pondered Kali's mix of good and evil in nature. A
wandering sadhu approached, saying God is simple but nature complex. He
explained life's riddle of duality (maya); few solve it by seeing unity beyond
illusion. True wisdom needs painful self-scrutiny to crush ego and fight inner
enemies like lusts. This reveals human selfishness but grows compassion and
love for God. Pain drives us to the Infinite. The sadhu praised India's ancient
rishis for timeless spiritual rules against materialism and predicted an
unusual experience. Yogananda valued the talk on humility, self-analysis over
ego, and universal pity. It taught that saints feel world's sorrows deeply,
expanding love on ego-free soil. Bricks don't inspire; human hearts do. This
wise chat set up his next adventure, showing philosophy leads to real
encounters. (182 words)
Q2: Narrate
how Yogananda met Gandha Baba and the perfume miracles he performed.
A: After the
temple, Yogananda's long-winded friend trapped him in talk but suddenly
mentioned Gandha Baba and left, echoing the sadhu's prediction. Inside the
house, people admired the saint on leopard skin for giving scents to scentless
things. Plump Gandha Baba offered Yogananda perfume. Skeptical, Yogananda
teased about wasting 12 years learned from a 1,000-year-old Tibetan yogi. He
extended his untouched hand; it smelled of roses. A scentless flower then
wafted jasmine. His sister later confirmed the smells. Alakananda's tale added:
at a Burdwan party, luchis hid tangerines. Yogananda saw the science—yoga tunes
lifetrons (subtle energies) to rearrange atomic vibrations for real sensory
changes, not hypnosis. But he left unimpressed, seeking deeper spirituality.
(179 words)
Q3: Explain
Yogananda's view on miracles, with examples from saints and mystics.
A: Yogananda
calls Gandha Baba's feats spectacular but useless, mere entertainment diverting
from God. Real miracles come from saints awake in God, changing the dream-world
via cosmic will, unlike harmful hypnotism. He quotes Abu Said mocking fakirs
proud of water/air powers—a frog swims, birds fly, devil appears everywhere.
True men live righteously amid daily life, never forgetting God, shedding
selfish desires, sharing freely, facing blows bravely. Neither sadhu nor saint
satisfied his guru quest; his heart recognized masters by sublime example.
Endnotes link to science: oxygen turns sand to gems, like yogic transmutations.
Miracles prove power but aren't spiritual goals; focus on inner realization
over outer shows. (181 words)
